Across Oceans
by GryffindorCriss
Summary: "Suddenly the idea of cramped living quarters and so many children being in the house didn't seem to bother her – not now that she had her sister again, not now that she could be sure Queenie, Jacob and their children could be completely safe." (Or: The Kowalski family move to Dorset to evade the law)
1. Chapter 1

**Story set in: mid/late October to early November in 1940**

 **Phoenix – 22nd June 1931 – 9 (going on 10)  
Linnet – 13th January 1933 - 7 (nearly 8)  
Leo – 2nd March 1935 – 5 (going on 6)**

 **(Miracle baby not born yet – Tina's still in her early-stages of pregnancy!)**

 **Tobias "Toby" – 15th October 1929 – 11  
Daisy – 7th April 1931 – 9 (going on 10)  
Abel and Ruth (twins) – 20th November 1933 – 6/7  
Elijah "Eli" – 28th January 1939 – 1 (nearly 2)**

 **Rappaport's Law wasn't repealed until 1965.**

* * *

Eli was such a _beautiful_ baby – it made Queenie's heart swell with love when she looked at him: he had Jacob's dark hair, lovely thick hair at that, the same cherub cheeks, and the biggest blue eyes she'd ever seen. She wasn't the only one who thought this – people in the street would think the same thing about him when they passed, and a few even stopped on many occasions to say aloud to her that he was a stunning baby.

That afternoon, she needed to buy some ingredients for supper; they had been running low on a multitude of things, from flour to potatoes, so Queenie had decided to go to the shops with her youngest son while the other children were at school. It was a busy afternoon, the streets filled with pedestrians and mothers such as herself shopping for supplies; Eli squirmed in her arms, eager to explore for himself – he had more than mastered how to walk by himself now, and he took great pleasure in going wherever he could without any cares. That was all well and good at home, of course, but in the middle of New York it was simply not an option to let him walk on his own.

"I know, Eli," Queenie cooed, shifting the basket on her arm to make more room for him. "We won't be long, honey – if you're a good boy, Mama will let you walk in the shop. How does that sound?

Eli looked rather put out but stopped squirming. " _Oh-kay_."

The grocer in the store nodded politely at her, recognizing her as a regular, and she smiled back before returning to her shopping; despite the regular hustle and bustle of New York, the majority of people here _were_ friendly, if nothing else. A number of people – shop owners in the area particularly - recognized her as being "the Kowalski fella's wife" and were kind to her because of her. It was nice to read the recognition in their minds, especially when coupled with admiration for her husband's baking.

"Mama, walk," Eli reminded her, giving a wriggle.

Queenie looked around; there weren't too many people in here, and so long as he stayed in the shop… "Alright, honey," She agreed, beaming at him affectionately as she put him down. "Only for a few minutes while Mama gets some food – don't leave the shop, okay? Stay close to Mama."

Eli was immediately toddling around with glee, his giggles bubbling up already – he was such a happy child, she reflected, and it made her feel warm inside. So long as she could hear his thoughts and his laughter he was safe, so she turned back to the shelves of food to see what she needed.

 _Let me see_ , she thought to herself: _Flour, I needed that for the pie…oh, and potatoes, that'll be over on the other side of the store-_

 _Queenie Goldstein_?

Queenie froze immediately, smile fading fast – _no one_ had called her by that name in _years_. There were very few people who would think she was still "Goldstein", and those were employees at MACUSA. Careful not to make it too obvious, she tilted her head and tried to catch a glimpse of who might have thought such a thing.

And her heart sank.

Standing across the store was a middle-aged man in a sharp suit; she recognized him as being one of the low-level MACUSA functionaries she'd had to bring coffee to on a number of occasions. She couldn't remember his name, but she knew that they had all thought the same degrading things about her.

 _It_ is _Queenie Goldstein! I'd recognize those blonde curls anywhere! What's she doing here, of all places? We thought she'd moved or something, like her sister…Hell, there was the rumours of her being knocked up floating about at one point…_

She couldn't panic – if this guy was studying her, he'd see it. No, she had to keep a calm head; maybe, just maybe, he'd find something else to occupy his mind and forget about _her_ in the shop. After all, shopping wasn't a crime – she wasn't breaking the law or anything-

"Mama!"

 _Oh no_. Queenie couldn't help but bite her lip at the sight of her son – of little Eli – running across the shop to her, blissfully ignorant; she reached out for him when he was close enough, picking him up and cradling him to her chest. She already knew what the man would be thinking before she _read_ it in his thoughts.

 _She has a…a kid? It can't be her sister's or anything, her sister is across the Atlantic last I heard. Maybe the rumours were true...but if she was pregnant eleven years ago, then she must have at least one more. If she was married though, why hide? Why wouldn't she have registered it? Unless…_

Apparently he wasn't as foolish as she had hoped – he was putting the pieces together easily, like a children's puzzle.

 _There always was talk of her being sweet on a No-Maj – of her leaving work early to go watch him. Never believed those rumours, but now…_

The shopping suddenly seemed meaningless – she had to get out of there _now_.

Queenie hefted Eli in her arms, ignoring the squeal of delight he gave, and grabbed her basket before heading for the exit of the shop. She could hear the man getting suspicious of her sudden abrupt need to leave, especially without buying anything, but that didn't matter now – not when she had her son with her, not when there was the risk of her family being found out.

 _What am I gonna do?_

* * *

"…So, what do you think we should do?"

Queenie bit her lip, looking down at the table. "I don't know. Oh, Jacob, it was awful…he _knew_ something. There was already talk going round the offices of why I'd gone, but…but now he's _seen_ Eli and he _knows_."

"Do you think he'd say something?" Jacob asked, and she knew he was starting to worry now. "I mean, if he _did_ say something, would they believe it?" _Maybe they'd think it was ridiculous, maybe they'd leave it…_

"They'd have to take all accusations seriously," She sighed, shaking her head. "If there's even the _slightest_ chance of the law being broken, they gotta investigate."

They were both silent for a long moment, letting this sink in; Jacob sat back in his chair after a few seconds, clearly mulling things over in his mind.

 _If only… She's gonna be in real trouble if they find out, more than I would be – that's all gonna be on me if she or the kids get in trouble, my fault for not being magic-_

"Don't you dare think like that!" Queenie seethed, though she looked more _hurt_ than angry. "There ain't nothing wrong with being a No-Maj at all – it's the law that's wrong, not us! Honey," She put her hand over his, and her voice was almost _pained_. "You know I don't _care_ that you're a No-Maj, and the kids don't either!"

Jacob sighed. "No. I know. So…what _are_ we gonna do then? What happens if they investigate and find out about…us?"

"Well…I don't know," She admitted, and she suddenly looked teary-eyed. "They could obliviate you again – more permanently this time. As for me…I'd probably be jailed or something like that. I have no idea what would happen to the children, but if I was _jailed_ …"

If Queenie was punished – in prison, most likely – for breaking the law, their children would more than likely be sent to foster homes; they'd probably be separated from not only their parents but _each other_. Their family wouldn't be able to stay together at all if MACUSA found out and exposed them.

She bit her lip, shaking her head to herself. "No. No, I can't…we can't…we can't stay here and wait for that to happen."

"What, you think we should move?" Jacob asked, looking rather troubled by this. "I mean…"

 _The bakery. The kids' schools. We don't have the money to move too far away._

Queenie squeezed his hand. "No, we don't have the money – but we can't just _sit_ here, Jacob. We have to do _something_ – the kids ain't safe here, and neither are we."

"Alright," Jacob said slowly, and she read the plan he was formulating in his head seconds before he continued. "We could go South or something, right? I got family down near Pennsylvania, we could go there…"

"The law is the same there," She sighed. "It's a wonderful idea, honey, but no matter where we go in America we're breaking the law…and what if someone finds us there? We can't just keep moving…and Toby, he's eleven…he's supposed to be starting school next year."

But even before the events of the afternoon, it had looked almost impossible that their son would be attending Ilvermorny the next fall; none of their children's births had been registered with MACUSA in fear that their family would be discovered, and so none of them would be on the list of young wizards and witches waiting to attend. Toby had just turned eleven, and he was less than a year away until the age he was supposed to go – and it would be simply _awful_ to not send him to school.

"How long do you think we've got?" Jacob asked slowly. "You know, before they might find us?"

"Maybe…a few days," Queenie murmured anxiously, folding her arms. "A week or two if we're real lucky – they'll know we live nearby if I was doing the shopping, and they'll send out investigators to be looking wherever they can. If we wait too long, we might not be able to make it outta New York without being spotted."

He was silent for a moment, and she heard him mulling things over in his mind; the bakery, the children, where they _could_ go and be safe for certain – and then it seemed to come to him quite suddenly.

"Hey, Queenie? Do you think…maybe…Newt and Tina might be able to help?"

* * *

"…And this is Niff, and this is Dougal…and this is the Erumpent!"

Newt was grinning uncontrollably as he looked over the drawing his youngest son had done that evening; at five-years-old, Leo's drawings were mostly colorful blobs and scribbles – but they were wonderful to him, all the same. "Yes, it looks _very_ accurate, Leo – I especially like that you've drawn the Niffler with something shiny."

"It's Mummy's necklace," Leo said excitedly.

Newt chuckled, handing the drawing back to his son. "Well, he _is_ rather fond of your mother's necklace, isn't he? It's a very good drawing: you should be _very_ proud of yourself."

His son's face lit up at the praise, absolutely enthused by it, as he clambered off of the floor and to the sofa to show his mother. "See, Mummy? I did a drawing of the beasts! Do you like it?"

Tina was smiling fondly as she lifted him into her lap and looked at the drawing properly. "Let me see…it's _very_ good," She affirmed, and he beamed happily. "It's much better than I can do, at any rate – I like how you've made the Erumpent purple too. Very creative!"

Linnet looked up from where she was stretched out on the rug on the floor by the fire. "Mummy, I wrote a story today – can I read it to you?"

"Of course, Lin," Tina told her, patting the seat on the sofa next to her. "Come on, come sit with me."

"You know, I think we'd all like to hear it," Newt agreed fondly, and he gestured to Phoenix; his oldest son looked up from his book in puzzlement. "Come on, we'll all sit together and then you can read your story, Lin."

Linnet was bright-eyed as she stood up, shuffling some paper in her arms and waiting for her family to make themselves comfortable in front of her; once Phoenix was sat between Newt and Tina, she cleared her throat. "My story is called 'Dougal the Amazing Demiguise'…Dougal helped me write it."

"I see," Newt chuckled, and Tina was grinning to herself.

"Okay… _Once upon a time, there was a demiguise named Dougal_ ," Linnet read clearly from her paper. " _Dougal was very kind and soft and lovely, and he had a best friend called Linnet Scamander who loved him very much_. _One day, three baby Occamys escaped from the case that was their home, and they were going to cause trouble in the house where Linnet lived! Dougal decided that he had to find all of the baby Occamys before Linnet's Mummy and Daddy found out because Occamys grow and they would destroy the house if they did that. The first baby Occamy was going to the kitchen and was about to become big when Dougal purred – the Occamy looked at Dougal and saw that he had a roach in his hand, so it slithered back to Dougal, who grabbed it and put it back in the case…_ "

There was a tapping on the window to the front room, causing all of them to look up; an owl was perched on the window ledge outside, a letter clutched in its beak. Newt stood up and moved to the window, waving his hand dismissively. "Carry on, Lin, I won't be a moment."

"Okay… Anyway," She continued, turning back to her story. " _The second baby Occamy was in Linnet's room…_ "

The owl looked rather exhausted, fluttering its wings and glaring up at Newt; he simply unlatched the window, waited for it to hop inside, and then took the letter from its beak. "Alright, I'll get you something in a minute, hang on." He looked down at the envelope in his hands and saw that it was addressed to Tina. "Ah, must be Queenie; I'll give this to her."

After feeding the bird a treat (found in the deepest reach of his pockets, but it did the trick), he turned back to his family and sat down on the sofa beside Phoenix again; the letter could wait until _after_ his daughter had finished telling her story, he reasoned, for she was clearly very pleased with herself for writing it.

"… _The last baby Occamy was in Linnet's Mummy and Daddy's room_ ," Linnet read aloud clearly. " _It was trying to find a home in the cupboard. Dougal waited until it curled up in one of Linnet's Daddy's shoes and then carried it back downstairs to the case. He then put the baby Occamy back in the case – just as he opened it, however, the Niffler tried to escape!_ " Leo gave a gasp at this. " _It slipped away from Dougal but then… Linnet appeared and she picked the Niffler up before it could run away. Dougal was so glad that Linnet saved the day that he played dollies with her all day._ " She paused. "Oh, _The End_!"

All of the family clapped as she did a small bow, and she seemed to glow with pride; even Phoenix was grinning as he leaned forwards in his seat. "Did you write that all by yourself, Lin?"

"Yes…well…kind of…Dougal helped."

"It was fantastic," Tina laughed fondly, and Leo nodded from his perch on her lap eagerly. "You're _so_ good at writing, Lin."

"I think you should be writing books, not me," Newt remarked, grinning at his daughter. "That was a fantastic story – I'm impressed Lin."

Linnet looked ecstatic at this. "Really? Can I really write books like you, Daddy?" He nodded in agreement, and it warmed his heart when she went pink-cheeked with happiness. "Thank you, Daddy!"

The children were relatively easy to coax into bed that night – Linnet not even putting up her usual fight to stay up later as she usually did – and it was no more than half an hour later that Newt and Tina found themselves curled up on the sofa in the front room with hot mugs of cocoa (as was routine for them). It only occurred to Newt as he watched his wife turning the pages of her book that he'd left the letter from earlier tucked in his trouser pocket.

"Ah! I almost forgot… A letter came for you, Tina," He muttered, and he struggled slightly as he fished it from his pocket. "I think it might be from Queenie, judging from the hand-writing."

Her face lit up at the prospect of a letter from her sister, and she hurriedly closed her book so that she could take the envelope; she quickly opened it, eagerly scanning the writing immediately. "I wonder how Eli is getting on: we haven't seen him – any of them – since…since last January! We should plan another visit soon or..."

Her voice trailed off suddenly; Newt studied her face as she read the letter, waiting to see if he could gage a reaction from her. For a long moment, she just silently read the letter with her lips pressed together, unreadable – but then she started to gnaw on her lip, a sign something wasn't quite _right_.

"Tina, love?" He found himself asking tentatively. "Everything alright?"

His wife's face had gone a ghostly grey, as if she had seen a ghost. "It's Queenie…she and Jacob…"

She offered him the letter, looking utterly terrified; Newt took it from her and hurriedly read the contents.

 _Tina_

 _I'm sorry this letter is short, but it's desperate. We can't stay here, not anymore – someone from MACUSA saw me with Eli in a store, and they'll investigate soon. Jacob and I don't want to cause you and Newt any trouble, of course, but we don't have anywhere else to turn and we really need help – for the children's sakes._

 _I don't know what you could do, but if you or Newt could offer any advice or a solution, then we'd be grateful._

 _Please write back soon,_

 _Queenie_

Newt felt his own heart sink into the pit of his stomach, mind racing; it had only been a matter of time, really, but all the same he had hoped that perhaps MACUSA would change their minds regarding Rappaport's Law. He knew that Tina had worked effortlessly to convince them to consider it whenever she visited, meeting with the British Minister of Magic to convince him to support her campaign and arranging visits with every new President elected (for there had been many changes over the years) to give her argument. Every time, however, she had been unsuccessful.

"We have to do something," Tina stated worriedly, clutching her mug in her hands as she stood up and started to pace the room. "They'll send an investigative team to track Queenie and Jacob, to watch their every move…they'll find out sooner or later if we don't help."

Newt nodded in agreement, putting the letter down on the coffee table and thinking hard to himself. "Of course…well…do the children have passports?"

"Passports?" She tilted her head at this, clearly confused, and put her mug down. "Why would they need-?... Oh."

"I know it's not the most convenient solution," He admitted. "In fact, it would be rather reckless, but I can't think of anywhere else they could go – any place in North America is bound to be unsafe from now on."

"But where would they _live_?" Tina questioned, folding her arms as she looked at him. "What about the bakery? Jacob's been working in that bakery for _years_ , he can't just _leave_ it without any warning…"

Newt sighed, looking down at his hands. "I know, I know; it's going to hurt him to leave that bakery, but if there's no other way… I...I could perhaps pull a few strings." She noticed that his cheeks had gone slightly pink as he said this. "My father is still rather well-respected in the eyes of the Minister, so I'm sure that it might be possible to perhaps procure a loan of some kind…there's a sweet shop closing down in Beaminster that belonged to the Prewett family for years, but they can't afford it anymore – as far as I'm aware, no one's bought it yet. If I contacted my father tonight, he could perhaps reserve it for the future."

"Alright, I suppose that's an idea," She allowed. "But where would they _live_ , Newt? They're a family of _seven_ – it'd be impossible for them to find a home on such short notice."

"Well…" Newt looked up, catching her eye and taking a deep breath. "Why not have them stay with us?"

Tina's eyes widened, and it was clear she was shocked by this idea. "Newt, you can't be serious! We have three children – with _another_ on the way-"

"We have more than enough room," He disagreed, shaking his head. "The baby's not due until next year, for a start, and it wouldn't be permanent – just long enough for them to find a home of their own."

"If they moved in with us," She said slowly. "That would be _eight_ children in this house, plus _four_ adults…we don't have enough bedrooms for everyone."

"The children could share," He suggested, pushing himself off the sofa so that he could move towards her. "Think about it – we have seven bedrooms in the house: one for us, one for your sister and Jacob, that's two. I'm sure the children won't mind sharing at all: Linnet would be more than happy to share her room with Daisy, and I'm sure Phoenix will agree to sharing with Toby – so that's four bedrooms."

She didn't look completely convinced, but she gave a nod nonetheless. "Alright, fine. That means there's three rooms left – and one of them isn't at all large."

"Yes, well, there's Leo's room, and perhaps then there could be one for the twins and one for Eli… I'm sure we can work it out," Newt decided earnestly. When she still didn't look assured by this plan, he gently reached to tilt her chin up to look at him. "Tina, love, I know this is all very sudden and frightening, but I'm _sure_ we can do this. If it means they're safe, then it's going to be more than worth it."

Tina gave a heavy sigh, her shoulders sinking. "I know, I know, it's just…I was _hoping_ it wouldn't come to this. I thought that the law would have changed by now or something…I feel like I…I could have done _something_ else to help them…"

Of course she did – but she wasn't to blame for this, not at all. Newt wrapped an arm around her, shaking his head again. "No, you did all you could, Tina, short of actually _telling_ MACUSA about your sister and Jacob's family. Don't blame yourself – the only people to blame are the ones in charge of the law, not us."

"I suppose so," She muttered in defeat, and when she pulled away from him he saw that she was frowning thoughtfully. "Alright, fine. I'll write back to Queenie immediately then and let her know…how soon do you think they could book passage over here from New York?"

"I don't know," He admitted. "But tell them to do it as soon as possible."

Tina was quiet as she picked up her sister's letter from the coffee table, turning it over in her hands. "They'll need a day or so to sort out what to do with the bakery, to pack what they need… I wish it didn't have to come to this."

Newt felt his own posture sink at her words; the idea of his friends – _family_ – in such a position, forced to flee the country for their own safety, was too similar to what many refugees were attempting to do in Europe with the war raging on. "No. I wish it didn't either."

* * *

Tina was the one waiting for them on the docks a few days later, hands in her pockets and gnawing her lip anxiously; she lifted at the sight of her sister's familiar blonde curls, and it was all she could do not to run to greet her. She had to remain composed, of course, and not draw too much attention to herself or her sister's family – for their own safety.

She waited patiently as they had their luggage checked; she couldn't help but hold her breath when they presented their passports to the customs officer, secretly worried that _something_ would go wrong. Her worries seemed to be for naught, however, as the entire family were allowed to enter without any problems whatsoever just minutes later.

The children – Daisy, especially – were excited to see her, hugging and greeting her happily; Queenie was positively _tearful_ at seeing her sister again, reaching out and embracing her with the arm that wasn't holding Eli. The feel of warm arms, a nice motherly hug, reminded Tina too much of their mother and how things had once been, and she couldn't help but allow a tear to escape too because it felt _so wonderful_ to finally see her sister again, even under these circumstances.

"Thank you," Queenie murmured, sounding absolutely choked with emotion. "Teenie, _thank you_."

"It's okay," Tina managed, forcing herself to smile. "I'm just…so _glad_ to see you."

Suddenly the idea of cramped living quarters and so many children being in the house didn't seem to bother her – not now that she had her sister again, not now that she could be sure Queenie, Jacob and their children could be completely _safe_.

* * *

 **There'll be another chapter soon (and it'll be discussed what's happened to the bakery etc.)**

 **Hope you enjoyed!**


	2. Chapter 2

**I'm sorry for the delay but I've had a lot going on! :/ I don't know if I've finished the fic or if I should write another part? You'll see what I mean at the end, but do be sure to leave your thoughts!**

 **Story set in: mid/late October to early November in 1940**

 **Phoenix – 22nd June 1931 – 9 (going on 10)  
Linnet – 13th January 1933 - 7 (nearly 8)  
Leo – 3rd March 1935 – 5 (going on 6)**

 **(Miracle baby not born yet – Tina's still in her early-stages of pregnancy!)**

 **Tobias "Toby" – 15th October 1929 – 11  
Daisy – 7th April 1931 – 9 (going on 10)  
Abel and Ruth (twins) – 20th November 1933 – 6/7  
Elijah "Eli" – 28th January 1939 – 1 (nearly 2)**

 **I'm trash for both couples. Writing these fics has given me such immeasurable joy and seeing everyone's reactions to it too has given me so much happiness. Thank you**

* * *

"Really, we can't thank you guys enough…"

Newt waved his hand, shaking his head as he finished cutting a hunk of meat and threw the pieces into a bucket. "Don't. It's nothing, honestly – you'd have done the same for us, I'm sure."

"Well, yeah, of course," Jacob agreed without hesitating. "Absolutely, but…I think you might have just saved our family here, Newt. Are you sure the kids don't mind sharing? 'Cause we could probably find a hotel or something, honest-"

"No, the children don't mind at all," Newt assured him, and he couldn't help but grin to himself. "Lin was actually rather excited at the prospect of seeing Daisy again – she's had her room prepared for the last few days now, making sure it's tidy and that there's enough space. I'm just sorry that we can't offer the children their own rooms."

Now Jacob was shaking his head. "Nah, don't worry about that – back home, Toby and Daisy had to share, and the twins were bunking in the same room as Eli. We were gonna need a new home soon anyways."

It was clear he was upset about it, however; his bakery – his beloved bakery that he had worked so hard for – had been in New York, and that was where the family had called home for over a decade. Newt hoped his father could pull some strings with the Ministry and guarantee the new bakery for Jacob, because Newt knew it would make things seem slightly better that way.

"Well," He muttered, lifting the bucket of raw meat. "Usually the children help me down here after tea, but I think they're currently occupied playing in the garden with _your_ children – if you don't mind, I'd rather appreciate the help."

Jacob's face lit up noticeably as he took the bucket. "Oh, yeah, sure! This is for those Graphorn things, right?"

Newt nodded, smiling tightly. "Yes, well-remembered."

As his friend left the shed, a new spring in his step, the Magizoologist found himself sighing in thought; it wasn't fair that Jacob and Queenie had had to uproot their entire family, nor that all of the hard work put into the bakery was now for nought. Jacob had mentioned leaving the keys with Henry the shop-assistant, leaving him in charge, but it was uncertain as to how long _that_ would last for – besides, no one could recreate Jacob's baking, no matter how skilled they may have been.

He knew that Jacob and Queenie were both incredibly grateful that he and Tina had offered them a place to stay indefinitely – they'd never complain even if they were dissatisfied – but all the same it felt incredibly _wrong_ that they'd been forced into this.

* * *

Meanwhile, Tina and Queenie had made themselves comfortable in the kitchen so that they could talk – it had been the first time they'd seen each other in over a year and a half, and it felt _so_ good to just be able to sit and really _talk_.

Queenie hummed as she sat down with her coffee, a wide smile on her face. "You have no idea how glad I am to see you again, Teenie…it's been far too long."

"Yeah," Tina agreed, pouring some tea for herself before moving to sit in the seat opposite. "I just wish it wasn't under _these_ circumstances."

"I know," Her sister sighed, and her smile faded quickly. "I was actually thinking of visiting anyway, but now… Well, it don't matter anymore. How have _you_ been, Teenie? You not drinking coffee?"

Tina shrugged, making herself comfortable as she came up with a reply – she didn't need to, however, as Queenie's mouth dropped open and her eyes shone.

"You're…You and Newt…? Oh, Tina, I'm so happy for you!" She grasped her sister's hand and squeezed tightly, looking absolutely _thrilled_. "You should've told me sooner!"

"We only just found out a few weeks ago," She explained, somewhat sheepishly. "We didn't want to go announcing it, you know? We wanted to make sure everything was going to be fine first."

It had been more worry on her part than Newt's, of course – he had wanted to announce it as soon as possible, ecstatic by the idea of another baby. Tina, on the other hand, had asked that they keep it to themselves for the time being: she'd been told that she shouldn't have been able to get pregnant again, that her womb had become 'inhospitable" thanks to a certain set of circumstances, and it seemed like a fair possibility that her 'inhospitable womb' wouldn't be able to carry a baby to full-term now. Perhaps it wasn't necessary to be so cautious, but she couldn't help it.

Queenie just nodded, however, clearly having read all of these thoughts from her mind. "It's gonna be okay, Teenie, don't worry – I'm sure everything'll be fine."

"Yes," Tina agreed quietly, forcing herself to smile. "Hopefully… I don't know if you're aware, but Newt's planning to help Jacob acquire a new bakery; apparently there's an available store in Beaminster, so he's written to his father to try and reserve it for the future."

"I heard Newt thinking something like that… Thank you," Queenie said quietly, and she looked as though she truly meant it. "Jacob won't admit it, but it _killed_ him to leave the bakery – it was all he could think about on the way over. Don't get me wrong, he's glad that we're all safe and that's the most important thing – but he really is cut up about the bakery."

Tina looked down at the table, going pink in the cheeks. "You should be thanking Newt, not me – he's the one who came up with the idea. We just want you guys to try and feel at home…it's not New York," She admitted. "But it's really very nice over here."

"Yeah, it is…it's real pretty," Her sister agreed lightly, looking out of the kitchen window; they could see the silhouettes of their children playing together, blissful and unaware. "I think it'll be great for the kids, you know…they had to play in the street before, and there was never a lot of room – I know they love the open space already."

It was obvious that she missed America – that was all she knew, really, that was _home_ for the Kowalski family. It was where their children had been born, where they'd married and lived together: England might have been nice, but it wasn't their home.

"No," Queenie sighed quietly, almost to herself. "It's not…at least, not yet."

* * *

A giggle and a bang sounded from down the corridor, and Newt couldn't help but grin to himself. "Perhaps it wasn't the best idea to put Linnet and Daisy in the same bedroom?"

Tina huffed, flipping a page in her book. "You think? We're moving them around tomorrow, no questions asked."

"Oh, they'll settle down eventually," He brushed off, shaking his head. "It's just because it's new and exciting, that's all. Give it a few days and they'll probably resent having to share a room."

Fuzzy jumped onto the bed, curling up next to Tina and letting out a disgruntled mewl; she smiled fondly at him, scratching him behind the ears. "I see you're not a fan of the new arrangements then."

The Kneazle purred in agreement, rubbing his head against her hand.

"I don't think we're going to have much luck moving them around, to be honest," Her husband mused. "They're quite happy the way they are – Leo especially, it would seem."

Tina snorted to herself. "Yes, because he's not sharing at all – he's got a bedroom all to himself."

Another loud thump sounded from down the hall followed by two loud squeals; Newt watched as his wife rolled her eyes, closing her book rather harshly and glowering at the wall.

"What are they _doing_?" She questioned, obviously annoyed. "It's nearly eleven in the evening!"

"Well…if I've been hearing things correctly, it sounds like Linnet is telling stories and Daisy is either amused by them or absolutely terrified. It could be either." He touched her shoulder. "Don't be so irritated, love: they're just overexcited at seeing each other again, that's all."

Tina sighed, reaching up to rub at her eyes. "I know. I'm sorry, it's just…I'm tired and worried, that's all. It's been difficult at work lately – Crawford is nowhere near as lenient as Theseus was."

She felt him freeze slightly at the mention of his brother – his brother who was still missing – and immediately felt guilty: it was a topic they tried their best to avoid, even months after the news.

"Sorry," Tina murmured, linking their fingers together and turning to him. "I…I didn't mean to-"

"It's fine, honestly," He interrupted, though his voice was suddenly hoarse. "Let's just get some sleep – it's going to be a long day tomorrow, what with all of the children to deal with."

Tina bit her lip as he turned away from her; she knew he was hurting, and she understood that, but she just _wished_ he would talk to her about it sometimes, if only to vent his feelings and not hold them in. She was his wife, for goodness sake – surely he could trust her?

 _They'll find Theseus soon_ , She told herself as she laid down, Fuzzy tucking himself underneath her arm, _They'll have to at some point – and he'll be fine. He has to be._

* * *

The new bedroom felt strange – perhaps because it wasn't really _theirs_ , not really.

"At least it's better than the boat," Jacob muttered.

Queenie smiled weakly – the boat hadn't been pleasant at all for _any_ of them, but her husband had experienced seasickness halfway through the journey during a particularly rough afternoon. "Exactly. And it's a nice room…it's not gonna be forever," She reminded him. "Just until we've got a place of our own again."

They were silent for a few minutes, though it was clear that neither of them were any closer to sleeping, and it was only when Jacob rolled over in the bed as he sighed that she started to really hear his thoughts start to spill out.

 _I miss New York. It just ain't the same here… Poor Queenie, and the kids, being forced to move 'cause of me_ -

"Jacob, honey," Queenie murmured loudly. "I can hear you thinking, remember? And how many times have I gotta tell you to stop thinking like that? This ain't your fault at all, and if you keep thinking like that then I ain't gonna share this bed with you."

"I'm sorry," He apologized hurriedly. "It's just… You and the kids, you're all magic and I'm not. I know you said you don't care, and I get that, but I keep thinking that if I was then-"

"Then you wouldn't be _you_ and I wouldn't love you," She proclaimed without hesitation; after a moment, her eyes grew softer and she reached to touch his cheek. "Jacob, please don't blame yourself. It hurts me when you do that."

He looked only somewhat taken aback by this. "Really?" _I don't ever wanna hurt her…Jeez, what's wrong with me?_ "Okay. Alright."

She nestled into his side, and for a split second it felt like they were _home_ again, back in New York and back in their own bed, just resting together as normal – but they weren't, and they were both only too aware of that.

They were finally drifting off to sleep ten minutes later when a loud cry sounded from down the hall; Queenie was out of bed in an instant, heading for the door. "It sounds like Eli – I'll get him before he wakes everyone else up."

Eli's crib had been set up in the smallest of the spare rooms in the house; it wasn't very large at all, but it was enough for now. He was standing on top of the blankets when Queenie entered, eyes scrunched up and tears dripping down his cheeks as he wailed.

"Poor baby," She whispered, lifting him up and cradling him to her chest. "I know…it's strange, ain't it? This new house and everything…it's not like home, is it?"

Eli sniffled, burying his face into the soft satin of her slip; his fingers scrunched at the fabric tightly, clearly seeking comfort. Queenie shushed him gently, rocking him in her arms and smoothing down his dark hair in an attempt to coax him into sleep again – the last thing she wanted was for him to wake up the other children or her sister and Newt.

"Come on, baby, time to sleep," She murmured, and she started to lower him back into the crib – when he realized, however, he cried out for her again. "No, Mama's here, see? Mama's still here…"

"Sleep Mama," He babbled, clutching to her desperately. "Sleep w' Papa."

Queenie swayed on the spot with him, rubbing soothing circles onto his back; Eli's thoughts were all over the place, she realized, for he was scared of being in this new house, scared he didn't know anything, and he wanted to sleep with his parents because they were _safe_ – they were _home_. Her heart ached for him involuntarily.

"Alright, honey," She agreed softly, turning for the door. "Just for tonight, just until you're used to it."

Jacob seemed slightly surprised when she re-entered their room with the toddler in her arms but didn't question it; Eli scrambled on the bedspread when she put him down, immediately pushing himself against his father's side and resting his head on his stomach.

"Just for tonight," Queenie murmured, getting back into bed; she laid her hand on Eli's back comfortingly. "He's sleeping in his own bed tomorrow."

Jacob didn't mind – he didn't need to say it, of course, because she knew just listening to his thoughts. "Okay, sure. Night, Eli."

"Nigh' Papa," Eli yawned, snuggling up to his father.

The toddler was asleep within a minute, his breaths becoming even, and Queenie couldn't help but sigh as she looked over him at her husband. "He misses home too – it just ain't the same."

"No," Jacob agreed quietly. "But we're safe here, right?" _I'd rather they were safe_ ; _Queenie, the kids…so long as they're safe, nothing else matters_.

"Yes," She found herself saying softly. "That's all that matters now."

* * *

An owl arrived at breakfast the next morning shortly after the children had eaten and retreated outside to play; Newt looked positively thrilled when he recognized it as one that belonged to his father, hurriedly pulling the letter from its leg and wincing when it hooted in indignation. "I'm sorry, Dante, I didn't mean to hurt you…"

"Dante?" Jacob repeated, looking somewhat dumbfounded.

Tina rolled her eyes affectionately. "You can see where Newt gets his awful naming skills from."

Newt had quickly torn open the letter by this point and was scanning it eagerly. "Let me see… _spoken to the Prewett family…_ Yes!" His face lit up, and he looked at the others sitting around the table. "No one's bought the Prewett's sweet shop yet – Father's asked them to keep it reserved for us until further notice."

"Oh, that's wonderful!" Queenie exclaimed, beaming at him. "Newt, that's so thoughtful, honey – thank you!"

Jacob looked positively _stunned_. "You…You got me a sweet shop?"

"It's a sweet shop at the moment," Newt agreed, folding the letter and putting it in his waistcoat pocket. "But you could easily turn it into a new bakery. There's a number of wizards living in Beaminster, so I'm sure they'd appreciate getting to try some of your creature pastries. Really, it's the least I could do."

There was a long silence that lingered in the air for a moment, punctuated only by the sounds of the children outside playing. Finally, Jacob sat back in his seat and looked at his friend with eyes that seemed to _shine_ with _tears_. "Newt, buddy, you…you have no idea how much that means to me."

"Oh, well it's…it's nothing really," Newt dismissed, and his face seemed to go red. "Like I said, you're my friend – _our_ friend," He amended, casting a look at Tina as she nodded. "And you're family. We're both more than happy to help in whatever way we can."

Jacob still looked close to tears even as he nodded and tucked back into breakfast; Queenie sent her sister and brother-in-law a radiant smile. "We really appreciate it – thank you."

* * *

All of the children had been positively _thrilled_ when Newt asked for them to help him down in the case; his own children ran inside to go down there immediately, faces lit up and eager – the Kowalski children, however, had looked somewhat more unsure.

"Is it…safe?" Ruth asked, taking Abel's hand and squeezing it.

Toby was the first to step forwards, giving his younger sister a smile. "'Course it is – Uncle Newt's creatures are great, you'll see!"

With that, the elder four (Eli did not go with them for it was his naptime, Queenie said – Newt suspected she was just slightly nervous about her children going down to visit these creatures) clambered down the steps of the case and into the shed; they all looked _amazed_ when their uncle opened the door and they saw the number of magical creatures before them, impressed and awed. They followed behind him eagerly, listening to every word he spoke about the proper care of these creatures – even Ruth, who usually tended to dominate a conversation, was silent as she intently listened to everything he said.

"Daisy!" Linnet called when the Kowalski children had caught up, and she waved her hand to catch her cousin's attention. "Come and meet Dougal!"

Daisy was positively _amazed_ when a new creature materialised beside Linnet, peering at the new guests of the case in interest, and she stopped a few metres away to watch him. "He's _beautiful –_ what kind of beast is he?"

"He's a Demiguise," Linnet informed her, fondly beaming at Dougal as she stroked his fur. "He can see the future, you know – he doesn't tell me what he sees, though; he keeps that a secret… But he's really good at hide-and-seek: I can _never_ find him!"

Meanwhile, Leo had begun chattering excitedly to Ruth and Abel near the Bowtruckle tree; one of the tiny twig-like creatures perched on his shoulder beside his ear, much to their amazement. "This is Finn, but we also have Titus, Poppy, Marlow and Tom…oh, and Pickett! Pickett is Daddy's favourite-"

"I don't have favourites," Newt disagreed, though he was grinning to himself as he patted his pocket. "Pickett just has attachment issues, that's all; it has nothing to do with me."

"Can I hold one?" Abel asked quietly, much to everyone's surprise – he usually kept silent, never speaking unless necessary. "Please?"

Newt nodded hurriedly. "Of course, of course…here," He murmured, and he reached to gently pull one of the Bowtruckles from the tree. "This one is Tom – he's relatively quiet and doesn't chatter as much as the others…much like yourself, I suppose."

Abel smiled shyly, watching with glee as Tom crawled into his cupped hands. "Hi, Tom."

Watching from his perch on Leo's shoulder, Finn gave a tiny shriek; his human shushed him affectionately. "Not now – I'll give you a bug to eat in a minute." The Bowtruckle seemed to fold its arms, sulking petulantly.

Meanwhile, it hadn't escaped Newt's notice that Toby had held back somewhat, choosing to watch his siblings from near the shed; once he was certain that the others were occupied, Newt walked up the path and sent his nephew a fond smile.

"Are you alright up here, Toby?"

Toby shrugged. "I guess. I just…I dunno. Phoenix said something about the Niffler, and I would have gone with him but…"

"But?" Newt prompted gently.

"Well…" The boy bit his lip, avoiding his uncle's gaze. "I wanted to make sure _they_ were okay, you know? Daisy and Ruth both cried once we left New York, and Abel just looks… _sad_." He sighed, looking out at the different habitats in the case. "I wanna go and see all your creatures, Uncle Newt, I do, but…but I'm not good with animals or anything. Daisy and I once found a stray-cat near our apartment, and it really liked her but hissed when I came near."

The Magizoologist just shook his head, unable to keep himself from grinning knowingly. "Ah, well, I think you'll find our creatures to be a bit different to stray-cats, Toby – and they already like you very much, as it happens."

"They…They do?" Toby frowned, extremely confused. "How?"

"It's not your first time down here, you know," Newt reminded him, and he beckoned for him to follow; he waited until his nephew had fallen into step beside him before continuing. "Your Auntie Tina and I had to look after you more than a few times when you were a baby – and we used to bring you down here when you couldn't sleep."

"You did?"

Newt laughed at his shocked expression. "Of course – Dougal was always trying to mother you when we brought you down, you know, and even the Niffler let you cuddle him a few times. _That_ surprised us quite a bit, to be honest."

"Yeah…I guess so," Toby agreed slowly, and his lips started to turn up. "Nifflers don't stay still for long, do they? Pa told us that your Niffler got loose in a bank once, and that was how he met you and Auntie Tina – he tells us that story to help us sleep sometimes."

He could just picture it: Jacob telling the children animatedly about how that fateful day at the bank, about how he had discovered magic by accident, how he had met not only Newt but also Tina and Queenie too. That day really had become very significant, even if none of them had realized it at the time.

Newt chuckled softly to himself. "Yes, it's quite a story, isn't it?…I dare say someone could even write a book about it one day."

* * *

It took a few weeks to officially secure the bakery; it wasn't going to be _given away_ for nothing, of course, and so the Prewetts had asked for a relatively moderate sum of money in return. Not familiar with British Wizarding Currency, both Jacob and Queenie had been unsure as to how much it would be – but Newt had shaken his head at them, insisting that he'd pay for it.

"Newt, honey, you don't need to-"

"We've got money, you know, there's no need-"

Newt had raised his hand, looking between them seriously. "No, no…it'd be my pleasure to buy the shop for you. After all, I technically helped you secure the loan for the previous one – it seems fitting I help you acquire another one, really."

The embraces he had received at this nearly winded him and left him red in the face – but he had grinned and found himself lightly returning their hugs anyway, pleased that he'd made them both so _happy_.

* * *

"Wow, Scamander…you look shattered!"

Tina huffed, all but flopping into her seat at her desk. "You'd be too if you had _eight_ children living under one roof, Malkin."

Malkin, a rookie and her current desk-partner, let out a low whistle. " _Eight_? Blimey, that happened quick…Last month it was three with one on the way, and now it's _eight_. Got more than you bargained for then?"

"Five of them are my _sister's_ ," She muttered dryly. "I don't know how she and her husband manage it… _five_ …and Newt and I thought it was hard enough with _three_ …"

"Ah. Well, it won't be too much longer until they move out I suppose," He mused, sitting back in his chair. "Then you'll have the house to yourself, right?"

Tina gnawed her lip. "I suppose so."

While she was getting exhausted by the sheer number of children running around the house at any one time (she'd already had to mend several plates in the kitchen and, on one occasion, had to heal a nasty scrape on Leo's leg when he'd been accidentally shoved), she didn't particularly _want_ her sister's family to move out. Sure, they'd probably live nearby but it had felt so _right_ to be living in such proximity with her sister again (even if it had warranted a number of Silencing spells being cast at night _just in case_ ).

Malkin seemed to know what she was thinking about and smirked. "Must be hard to get amorous with your sister and her husband in the house."

"Shut up," She snapped, well-aware she was bright red. "That's not what I was thinking _at all_."

"Of _course_ not, Scamander, if you say so."

Tina debated briefly hexing him, and her hand twitched for her wand, but then decided it wasn't really worth it; instead she settled for shooting him a glare before turning back to her work. She hated to admit it, but he _did_ have a point – it _was_ hard to have any intimacy when she and Newt were all too aware of Jacob and Queenie sleeping in the next room, and that they not only had their children in the house but nieces and nephews too.

Malkin cleared his throat, interrupting her thoughts. "So, when are you going on leave then?"

"April," She muttered, not even looking up at him.

"April?!" Malkin repeated, looking genuinely surprised by this. "Merlin, that's a bit late, isn't it?"

Tina rolled her eyes. " _No_ – I'm not due until May and, in case you didn't realize, I'm more than capable of working behind this desk while I'm pregnant."

"Alright, alright… Jeez, someone's stressed out."

 _Damn right_ , She thought to herself, feeling rather annoyed, _You'd be too if you were me_.

She knew she'd have to bring up the subject soon, however, because this arrangement couldn't continue forever; Phoenix and Linnet had been rather gracious about sharing thus far, but they'd want their own rooms back before too long. To add, things were extremely cramped as it was – let alone with the new baby due to arrive in the following May.

As much as Tina loved the closeness of being with Queenie again, it was undeniable that they needed a new home.

* * *

"We've been looking at a few places, and…well, we're just looking for something we can afford, you know?"

"Afford?" Newt questioned, and both he and Tina looked somewhat surprised by Jacob's statement. "Jacob, you know that we'll assist in any way we can – if it's money that you need-"

"No offence, buddy," Jacob interrupted, looking truly apologetic. "But you've both done a lot for us already – it ain't fair. Besides, this is gonna be _our_ home: we should be the ones paying for it."

"Well, you can stay here until you can afford something," Tina suggested, looking between her sister and brother-in-law anxiously. "We're not about to kick you out or anything… And Newt and I, we really don't mind you all staying for as long as you need."

Newt nodded in agreement, but Queenie was already shaking her head. "We've already been here a month – and I know you've been thinking there's too many of us here, Teen, that it's too cramped."

Tina went bright red when Newt looked at her in surprise. "That's…I didn't mean it like _that_ , Queenie…I just meant…"

"I know, I know," She agreed softly. "But you're right; it ain't fair that your kids are having to share their rooms for so long, especially now you've got another one on the way."

"Besides, we…" Jacob hesitated, looking to his wife for confirmation; she nodded at him to continue. "We been thinking that we…you know…might like more kids someday. Maybe. We'd need a proper house for that."

Newt was silent, clearly thinking to himself; Tina bit her lip and looked down at the table. "I…I might have an idea. It's probably not a good one, but…"

Queenie's mouth fell open in surprise. " _Teenie_ …you should have told us!"

Newt and Jacob both looked confused by this, but Tina's cheeks were burning red. "I still don't appreciate you reading my mind, Queenie…"

"What? What's going on?"

Queenie looked between her sister and her husband, still shocked. "Teen _knew_ there was a house for sale around here – and she didn't say anything!"

"There's a house for sale nearby?" Newt questioned, looking at his wife in surprise. "Which one?"

She was still pink-cheeked as she ducked her head. "It's the Macmillans' house – their kids have all moved out and they want a smaller place to retire in."

"Why didn't you tell us?" Queenie asked again, raising her eyebrows at her sister.

"I didn't know if you'd _want_ it," Tina defended, clearly embarrassed. "I thought you guys would want to be closer to the bakery in Beaminster, you know? And it's still kinda close to us, and I didn't know if you'd be comfortable with that-"

"You guys are family," Jacob stated earnestly. "You, Newt, the kids – 'course we wouldn't mind that!"

"And there are ways they can get to the bakery in Beaminster," Newt agreed, nodding his head. "Apparition, Floo Powder… I'm sure the Ministry won't mind setting up the connection, if we persuade them."

Queenie was tapping her fingers on the wood of the table, looking at her sister intently as she skimmed through her thoughts. "It's seven rooms," She murmured slowly. "An old house…How far away is it, Teen?"

"Well, I saw it and spoke to them when I was walking some of the way home from work last week," Tina explained. "It's down the path, probably about ten or fifteen minutes away."

Both Jacob and Queenie looked pleased by this, their faces lighting up; Newt smiled crookedly to himself. "How much do you think it'll cost, Tina?"

"I can't know for sure," She confessed. "But it _does_ need some work, so that might reduce the price a bit. I know that's probably not what you want to hear, that the house needs some repairs, but they're relatively minor from what I've heard – a few damp spots here and there, an occasional crack in the wall, and a few windows need replacing…"

"That's fine," Jacob assured her, clearly excited all of a sudden. "We can fix that up no problem, right, Queenie?"

She paused for a moment, clearly reading Tina's thoughts to see for herself – but then she beamed radiantly. "That's _nothing_!" She stated eagerly. "Oh, it could be perfect once we've done some work on it, Jacob – and the kids, they could have some space to run around: real space, a real garden…"

"And you'd all be welcome to visit whenever you want," Newt added with a grin. "I'm sure the children would be thrilled at living so nearby to each other – they could play as often as they like."

Tina looked at her sister and suddenly felt her heart lift – if it _did_ happen, then they'd be able to see each other whenever they wanted. It wouldn't be the same as living in an apartment together, of course, but it didn't have to be: they could sit and talk whenever they wished, their families sharing holidays and meals just like the two of them had done for years.

Queenie's eyes were teary as she looked back at her sister with a large smile. "Yes," She agreed quietly. "I want that too, Teen – it would be _perfect_."

* * *

 **I don't know if I should do a part about them moving in or…? (Yes, they're going to get the house) Or maybe I should start writing about the difficult miracle!baby pregnancy? (yes, that'll be multi-chaptered too)**

 **I was so stuck on the last section so I apologize for the delay. On the plus side, I'm going to be pretty un-busy this weekend so…perhaps I'll get something else written! :D**

 **Hope you enjoyed!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Story set in: mid/late October to early November in 1940**

 **Phoenix – 22nd June 1931 – 9 (going on 10)  
Linnet – 13th January 1933 - 7 (nearly 8)  
Leo – 3rd March 1935 – 5 (going on 6)**

 **(Miracle baby not born yet – Tina's still in her early-stages of pregnancy!)**

 **Tobias "Toby" – 15th October 1929 – 11  
Daisy – 7th April 1931 – 9 (going on 10)  
Abel and Ruth (twins) – 20th November 1933 – 6/7  
Elijah "Eli" – 28th January 1939 – 1 (nearly 2)**

* * *

Jacob had decided to take the children to visit the new house a week or so later; Queenie had stayed behind with Eli to finalise some things with Tina (and, admittedly, to have one of their now-often 'ladies chats'), and so he had walked with their four eldest children down the road to the new house in order to take a look around. It was also worth hearing what the kids thought as well, he and Queenie had decided, to see if they were agreeable about living there.

The new house was far bigger than the apartment in New York, of course – all of the children could only look around in awe when they had entered, absolutely stunned and amazed.

"So…what do you guys think?"

They looked at Jacob briefly before turning back to examine the house; Toby was the first to speak, putting a hand on Abel's shoulder. "It's…big. Really big."

"Are we going to live here, Papa?" Daisy asked, eyes fixed on the stairs; they hadn't had floors in their apartment, just rooms, and it was strange to think that _this_ could be their home.

Jacob was grinning, amused by their reactions. "Yeah – not yet, we still got some things to fix first, but once that's done…this place is ours."

Abel's mouth fell open; Ruth frowned. "What about our home, Papa? What about the apartment?"

Their father was silent for a moment, smile fading rapidly – but Abel's eyes widened. "We're not going home."

"Well…"

"What?!" Ruth exclaimed, tearing her hand out of Abel's and looking up at her father angrily. "But we have to – it's our home! We can't just not go home!"

"Ruth, honey…"

But she wasn't having any of it, it seemed. "No! Our friends are back in New York, Papa, we can't just leave them! And the bakery, we can't leave the bakery-"

"Papa's gonna get a new bakery," Toby told her hurriedly, sensing a temper tantrum coming on. "And it'll be just as nice as the other one. We'll make friends here, Ruth, you'll see."

"But I don't want to move _here_!" She complained tearfully. "It rains too much here, and it's too cold!"

Daisy was gnawing on her lip. "But we'll be close to Uncle Newt and Auntie Tina," She stated, trying to cheer her sister up. "And we can play with Phoenix and Linnet – and Leo – whenever we want. It's gonna be great over here, you'll see."

Ruth's bottom lip was wobbling, a sure sign she was going to start crying properly soon. "But…But our _home_ …"

Abel suddenly reached out and linked their hands again – a surprising gesture considering it was usually his twin who did such things and _not_ him. "Don't cry, Ruth," He said quietly, and he was looking at her intently. "I know. Don't be scared."

Toby and Daisy shared a look; it was moments like these that they were sure their younger brother might have been more like their mother than they had thought, that perhaps there was more to him than met the eye. He just seemed to _know_ how people were feeling, seemed to know what they may have been thinking – they couldn't know for certain, however, and neither of them were particularly comfortable about asking him directly.

"Hey, it's gonna be okay," Jacob told her soothingly, and he bent down to take her into his arms; she returned the embrace, hugging him tightly. "I know how you feel, sweetheart – I miss New York too. And we'll go back someday, alright? That's a promise."

Ruth gave a sniffle but nodded into his shoulder. "Okay, Papa. Only if you _promise_."

"Yeah, honey, I promise. Alright," He muttered, standing up and taking his youngest daughter by the hand. "You guys wanna take a look upstairs?"

* * *

"Teen, you know I don't wanna lecture you…"

"Then don't," Tina muttered, flicking her wand at the kettle so it boiled. "I've already got Newt worrying over me – even if he won't admit it – and I don't need you doing either."

Queenie folded her arms, pursing her lips. "I just wanted to say that you're so _thin_ – and you're barely eating now as it is. You've gotta a baby to take care of, and you ain't doing it any good by going hungry."

"I'm not going hungry," Her sister disagreed stubbornly. "I'm eating just fine."

Eli gave a whine from the floor, reaching his hands up for his mother; Queenie bent to pick him up, settling him against her side before looking back at her sister. "Maybe you should get a potion for that nausea."

"My…stop reading my mind," Tina mumbled, going pink. "It's just morning sickness – it doesn't happen just in the _morning_ , you know."

"I know. I'm just worried about you, Teenie, that's all."

"Well, don't," She said pointedly. "You've got enough to worry about, Queenie; the kids, the new house, the new bakery…just _don't_ , alright?"

Queenie sighed, shaking her head. "Alright, fine…I'm just trying to look out for you, Teen."

Tina tried not to wince at how hurt her sister looked. "I know, Queenie. I'm sorry – I've got a lot of things going on, that's all."

Her sister was quiet as she skimmed the surface of the older woman's thoughts, and her eyes were soft. "You worry so much, Teen; you keep giving and giving, and that's wonderful…but you need to think about yourself too."

"I'm fine, really," Tina disagreed, and she waved her wand at the cupboard; two mugs floated out and towards her. "Does Eli want any juice or anything?"

Queenie didn't look to pleased by the change of topic but turned to her son anyway. "You want any juice, baby?"

"Mmm-hmmm," Eli agreed eagerly, grinning at her. "Juice!"

Once the tea and coffee had been poured (and Eli had been given a bottle filled with juice), the two sisters sat at the table; both of them silently watched as Eli drank his bottle, holding it in both hands and licking his lips every time he pulled away to catch his breath.

"He's getting big," Tina stated quietly. "How old is he now?"

"He'll be two in January," Queenie murmured fondly, though she looked somewhat saddened too. "Hard to believe he's getting so big."

Tina smiled weakly. "Two…if it makes you feel any better, Linnet's going to be _eight_ in January… Phoenix will be ten next June." She folded her arms, looking down at the table. "It doesn't feel like ten years."

"No. Toby's going off to school next September… I always thought they'd be going to Ilvermorny," Queenie stated sadly. "But I guess now they'll be at…at wherever it is Newt keeps talking about."

"Hogwarts." She hesitated. "If it makes you feel any better, I've been to Hogwarts a few times; Newt's had business and classes up there he's had to talk to, and I go with him whenever I can. It's not that bad, Queenie, honestly – it's not Ilvermorny, but it's still nice."

Her sister didn't look particularly happy, but she still forced a smile onto her face. "It _does_ look nice," She murmured, clearly having seen the image that Tina had been thinking. "I suppose we should be glad he can go to school, all things considered."

"Yeah; he'll like it there," Tina agreed softly, and she reached out to take her sister's hand. "Just wait and see."

Eli put his now-empty bottle on the floor and pushed himself into a standing position; he toddled over to Queenie, raising his arms to her. "Mama, sit w' you."

"Alright, come here, baby."

Tina watched as her sister picked up Eli; Queenie's face lit up, a radiant smile gracing her features suddenly, and it made Tina feel warm to look at. It was obvious how much her sister loved her children – being a mother suited Queenie so well, and it was almost as if she was _born_ for it for she certainly lived for them.

 _I'm not like that_ , she thought to herself morosely – she loved all of her children too, all three of them and she'd love the new one too when they arrived…but she wasn't as well-suited to parenthood as Newt or Queenie were. She was, in her sister's words, a 'career girl' – she wasn't adept at playing with children or comforting them, and it was no surprise that she was the working parent while her husband stayed at home.

Queenie looked over at her older sister, smile fading somewhat, and shook her head. "No, Teen, don't think like that; those kids love you so much."

"Queenie-"

"Just 'cause you're the one at work, doesn't mean they love you any less," Her sister continued firmly. "They certainly don't love you any less than Newt – you should hear what Linnet thinks, you know…and don't get me started on _my_ kids." She laughed quietly to herself. "Daisy _adores_ you, Teenie: she was so excited to see you again, and she's always felt real close to you."

Well, _that_ wasn't particularly surprising to hear, to be honest: it was clear that Daisy was especially fond of her, and Tina suspected it was because they were rather similar – both physically and in terms of personality.

"She's just like you," Queenie agreed, beaming to herself. "So don't go thinking any less of yourself, 'cause there's no reason to."

Tina refused to cry at this, and so instead she found herself smiling tearfully at her younger sister. "Thank you, Queenie. I know you guys miss New York, but all the same…I'm glad we're gonna be living so close to each other again."

Queenie squeezed her hand. "I am too."

* * *

It took just a few more days for the repairs to be fully done – much to Jacob's dismay, for he'd been rather unaware that magic could repair things so _quickly_ – and it was with mixed excitement and trepidation that the Kowalski family spent the weekend moving in properly. The Scamanders had agreed to help, of course, and so whilst the children explored the new house Newt and Tina helped to move all of their luggage and belongings in. They spent the first day simply moving things around and judging what they needed to purchase.

"I'm sure you can decorate properly later," Newt decided, looking around the sitting room. "For now, we should focus on the basic necessities; firstly, beds. I'm supposing you'll want six at the moment, yes?"

Both Jacob and Queenie nodded; Tina gazed around, clearly deep in thought. "You'll need a couch – at least one, maybe more – and I'm guessing more things for the kitchen like a table and chairs…the stove is built in, and so's a fridge…how about sheets? You need any sheets?"

"We can buy some," Queenie dismissed. "There's gotta be a place nearby that sells that kinda thing, right?"

"We can buy just about anything in Diagon Alley," Newt agreed.

Both Jacob and Queenie looked somewhat perplexed; Tina grinned fondly. "It's a street in London that's just wizarding stores – we can go tomorrow and you'll see."

The trip to Diagon Alley had amazed all of the Kowalskis, and it was no wonder – none of them had seen anything like this in New York, especially not an entire _street_ of wizard shops. It was clear that they wanted to explore every single store (Toby, especially, had looked over longingly at a shop displaying broomsticks) but it had to wait, of course, for they had things they _needed_ to buy.

"We'll come back," Queenie had laughed when Daisy stopped to gaze in a bookstore, placing a hand on her back. "Come on, sweetie, we'll have plenty of time in the future – we'll have a real day of it."

Her daughter hadn't looked happy at all, but continued walking nonetheless.

Who had what room in the house also caused a few problems, it soon transpired; there was a master bedroom, which was of course Jacob and Queenie's – but the children couldn't quite agree on which room was who's.

"I want this one," Ruth announced, walking into one of the rooms and looking pointedly at her older sister, who was sitting on the bed. "It looks out at the trees, see?"

"But this is _my_ room," Daisy disagreed with a frown. "It's got the window-seat so I can read."

Her sister huffed, putting her hands on her hips. "No, I wanna have this room!"

"I was here first!"

"I'll tell Mama and Papa that you're being mean!"

"But I'm not!"

The argument wasn't pretty at all, and it had taken both couples to calm the girls down; in the end, Newt _somehow_ managed to convince Ruth to take the room overlooking the yard out the back – though he had to promise quite a few things to do it.

"What did you agree to?" Tina asked quietly when no one else could hear them.

Newt went red-cheeked. "I _might_ have promised her a Puffskein…and a Kneazle kitten… Don't look at me like that!" He added at his wife's look. "She'll be more than able to take care of them, I can assure you."

"That's not all, is it?"

"…well. No," He admitted sheepishly. "I may have also agreed that… _maybe_ …I'd let her have a Hippogriff out the back as well."

Tina groaned. "You _didn't_!"

"I did," Newt muttered, half-amused and half-exasperated. "I didn't know what else to do…and she wouldn't be the only one looking after it, I'm sure Queenie and Jacob would be more than happy to help…"

"Jacob, maybe," She allowed. "But Queenie? She's going to absolutely freak out."

* * *

One of the children's favourite pastimes back in New York had been visiting their father's bakery – and it was no wonder, for he was truly a _genius_ with his cooking and designs. It was with unmeasured glee that all of them accompanied their mother to visit one afternoon later that week, excited to see the new bakery.

"Oh, it's lovely, Papa!" Daisy exclaimed when they walked in, eyes lighting up; it was decorated somewhat modestly, like the one in New York had been, but it was larger and had more racks to display things on around the room.

"You think so?"

Ruth nodded eagerly, blonde curls bouncing underneath her hat. "Yes – ooh, you should be the Nifflers _here_ , near the counter, and the Demiguises next to them; that way people will see them when they wanna come to buy something and they can just pick them up."

"I'll keep that in mind," Jacob chuckled. "Alright, you guys wanna see the back-room?"

The oven was already on, and all of them were delighted to smell that there were pastries baking – it was a smell they hadn't experienced in so long, and it reminded them of _home_.

"I know we ain't opening for another week," Jacob explained. "But I wanted to get back into practice, you know? You guys can try 'em in a minute."

Queenie put the hand that wasn't holding Eli on his arm, smiling softly. "Jacob, honey, don't worry 'bout it; your baking is always _perfect_. People will love everything they buy, I promise."

"You really think so?" He asked, and he looked somewhat nervous. "I dunno, it's just…it's been so _long_ since I last baked…"

"It smells delicious, Pa," Toby announced with a wide grin. "Ma's right – everyone will love your baking!"

Abel, remaining silent as ever, nodded and smiled eagerly; Daisy beamed. "It _smells_ real delicious, Papa – it's gonna be delicious too!"

"Yummy!" Eli declared happily.

Jacob seemed to flush with pride at their comments.

* * *

It was safe to say that Daisy _loved_ her new room; back in New York, she'd had to share with Toby, and while she loved her brother she didn't really appreciate having to share such a small bedroom with him. This new room, however, was everything she could have wanted; it was large enough for her to move about in, probably large enough to _dance_ in, and it allowed her some space for more personal belongings too.

She had been humming to herself as she organised the toys on her bed when there was a knock on the door; when she turned, she saw Tina standing there somewhat awkwardly.

Daisy beamed. "Auntie Tina!" She exclaimed, and she rushed forward to embrace her. "Do you like my room?"

Tina managed a smile. "It's very nice," She agreed, putting an arm around her. "I take it _you_ like it then?"

"Oh, yes!" She stated eagerly, nodding her head. "I can have my own books and my own wardrobe and everything now!"

"Well, I'm glad you like it," Tina said fondly, and as she stepped into the room Daisy realized she was holding something. "I…well…I didn't know if you guys would have a lot over here, you know, what with the sudden move…and I remember when I first moved here, it was kinda strange, so I thought I'd bring you something to help you…you know, settle in."

Daisy's eyes widened. "You got me something?"

"I got something for all of you," Her aunt affirmed. "I was trying to think about what you might like, Daisy, and then I remembered how you looked when we were near the book store and…" She lifted her hand and passed a small bag to Daisy. "Here."

Daisy took it from her, touched, and opened in; to her astonishment, there were a number of books inside – and not second-hand ones but _new_ ones.

"I don't know what kinda thing you like to read," Tina continued, somewhat anxiously. "But I thought that you might like some books to fill up a shelf or something." She watched as her niece pulled one out and examined it. "I know it's not much, and you'd probably have wanted something else, but-"

"Oh, Auntie Tina!" Suddenly Daisy had flung her arms around Tina, embracing her tightly. "Thank you! Thank you, it means so much to me!"

Tina, though surprised, hugged her back. "You like them?"

"Yes!" Daisy was beaming up at her. "I love books! Ruth thinks I'm strange because I like books so much, you know – she always wants to play with her dollies, but I like reading better."

"I'm glad to hear it," Tina told her, somewhat relieved as she grinned. "I used to love reading too, and…well, when _I_ moved over here, I used to love spending time in the book stores; it felt like I was in New York again sometimes, even just looking at the shelves."

The girl pulled back, looking extremely grateful. "Hey, Auntie Tina?… Can I tell you something? You know, without you telling my Mama or Papa?"

"Oh," Tina looked somewhat taken aback; as much as she would have loved to have agreed, she wasn't quite sure she could keep something too serious to herself – or, rather, without telling Queenie or Jacob. "Well, you can tell me anything."

Daisy bit her lip. "Don't tell them, but…I _do_ miss New York. A lot. I mean, I like it here but…but it's not home, not yet. I feel bad 'cause I know they moved us here for a reason, but I still miss New York." She looked up at Tina pleadingly. "You won't tell them, will you? I don't want to upset them or the others, but still…I need to talk about things sometimes."

Tina suddenly realized what her sister had meant earlier during the week – Daisy _was_ similar to herself, and it was no wonder her niece felt so close to her. She understood why Daisy was so keen to want to talk to her – because while there was no doubt she loved her parents, sometimes it was necessary to have another person to be close to, someone who might understand.

"Daisy," Tina murmured, crouching slightly so that they were level. "You can talk to me whenever, alright? I know sometimes you don't want to talk to your mother or father – and that's fine. Sometimes you just…need someone to listen, right?" Her niece nodded. "Well, I want you to know that if you ever want to talk or anything, then you can talk to me. I can't promise I'll always be helpful, but I _can_ listen."

"Okay," Daisy said softly, looking rather touched by this. "But…But you're gonna have another baby, that's what Mama said. Toby told me that you won't have time for m- I mean, us."

"I'll make time," Tina promised. "And if I can't be there to listen for whatever reason, then your Uncle Newt will be there – both of us would be more than happy to talk, alright?"

Daisy nodded again, leaning in for another hug and closing her eyes. "Thanks, Auntie Tina."

Tina returned the hug, unable to stop herself from smiling with only the slightest glisten of a tear in her eye.

* * *

It was late by the time all of the children had calmed down and settled into bed; the excitement of moving into a new house had clearly made all of them more energetic than usual, and so it had taken some time for all of them to finally settle down enough to fall into sleep.

Once they were certain all of their children were asleep, Jacob and Queenie had settled themselves at the new table in the kitchen for coffee; it wasn't nearly as nice as coffee in America, for some reason, but it did the trick. The simply sat in silence for a few moments, relaxing in the peaceful quiet that had settled over the house after so much drama and turmoil.

Finally, Jacob exhaled slowly. "So…what you thinking?"

"It's nice," Queenie said quietly, clasping her mug in her hands tightly. "I like it here."

"Yeah," He agreed. "Me too… Plus, the kids have got a place to play now, right? All that open space is bound to be better than the streets."

"The fresh air will do 'em some good," She mused, smiling to herself. "They all like it here, you know; they're all still kinda sad that we had to move since they loved New York so much but…but they're warming up to here too."

Jacob looked down at his cup thoughtfully. "You know, I gotta admit, I was kinda wondering how the twins were gonna react to being split up – they ain't never slept apart before. They seem to be taking it well."

"Yeah…I worried about Abe," She admitted. "He relies on Ruth so much sometimes…but he's absolutely fine. He's such a strong boy, even if he don't show it."

There was another short silence during which Jacob finished his coffee and looked around the kitchen – Queenie heard him thinking to himself, _It ain't so bad here really…nice big kitchen, perfect for cooking in – bet Queenie will like that. It's real nice._

"It is real nice," Queenie affirmed, smiling to herself. "And I _am_ looking forward to using that stove, I have to admit."

Jacob grinned, and his thoughts were still wandering absent-mindedly; _I'm real glad she's happy – that all of 'em are, actually. Last thing I want is them to be unhappy. It's a good size, better than the apartment…maybe, if we wanted to have more kids_ …

She heard him trying to dismiss the thought suddenly, going somewhat hot in the face – but Queenie just beamed, reaching out to take his hand. "Oh, Jacob, honey – it's _perfect_ for more kids."

"Oh. Yeah, I mean…I didn't wanna assume or anything, but…"

"No," She assured him quite happily. "The more the better, if you ask me…and Eli _is_ nearly two, right? It's the right time to be talking about it."

Jacob was still flushed but she _knew_ he was pleased by her answer – _joyful_ even – as he held her hand tightly in his. "I don't think I've told you in a while – I love you, Queenie."

"Yeah," Queenie agreed lovingly, and her heart felt like it might burst. "I love you too, Jacob."

They'd certainly talk about a new baby; they'd settle in properly first before discussing it, making sure their kids were happy and the business at the new bakery was running smoothly…but they'd talk about it nonetheless. They had the room now, after all, and if the bakery was as successful as the one in New York then they'd hopefully have the money too.

There was a definite future for their family here – one of freedom and hope.

* * *

 **Jacob and Queenie also adopted – a new fic idea! XD**

 **I hope you all enjoyed this fic as much I enjoyed writing it; it hasn't always been easy at times, but I've found so much joy in writing it all the same 3 You guys' comments are keeping me going, so thank you!**

 **Next up: newtina/miracle baby pregnancy; Newtina desk-smut; and much more!**


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